Palm Tree Snapshots
by spotpc
Summary: A few short scenes in between major developments. Some are pretty funny. For a challenge posted on the Lost forums.
1. Chapter 1

_Palm Tree Snapshots_

This story was written for a challenge posted on the Lost forums. The prize for the winner was... Sawyer. But we probably meant a virtual copy of Sawyer rather than the real one. Anyway, this chapter takes place at the end of season 2.

Jack's feet hadn't begun to hurt yet. That was a good sign. He figured he must finally be getting used to hiking. He had never been the outdoor type, not even when he was a kid. And besides being on his feet for hours at a time for work, which any convenience store clerk could boast, he had never regarded exercise as much more than a necessary evil. Something he had to do to stay healthy, and then only when he was bored or frustrated. Or for self-flagellation, he admitted as he recalled the tour de stad' he'd attempted after Sarah's surgery. The tour itself hadn't gone much better than the surgery, but Desmond had been a big help. Of course, that was before he went crazy. Jack couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy for the touched Scotsman. After all, it couldn't have been easy for him all this time.

It suddenly occurred to Jack that he'd had just as rough a time as Desmond these past few months. It wasn't easy to be the leader. He turned his head around to look behind him. The people he now called his friends were trailing behind him one after the other like ducklings. Even Michael, who was supposed to be leading this expedition, was content to walk a short distance behind. As Jack watched, Hurley caught his foot on a root and almost fell on his face. Sawyer gave a snorting laugh but stifled it quickly when Kate gave him a reproachful look. An involuntary smile flashed across Jack's face. When had their faith and trust in him started to feel this good?

-

Jack's brief smile didn't escape Sawyer's notice. In fact, very little seemed to pass him by. With all the talent he had, it seemed almost ironic that he should end up a simple general store owner. But sometimes, he thought it might be better to separate himself from the "criminal arts" for a while. At least he could tell himself that he was capable of doing something else. For years now, he had felt like he was in a rut. The endless stream of marks and getaways and one-night stands was feeling less like the freedom it promised and more like a cursed life. He could pull off a tough job and feel something like a sense of accomplishment, but as the money started to run out, the urge to do it all again would drag him away like an addiction. He supposed this must be how a werewolf feels. At peace for only a few weeks at a time before the full moon rose and the next hunt began. And what could release a werewolf from his tortured existence? Only the destruction of the beast who had cursed him in the first place. Yeah, the curse of the were-con.

But over the past few months, he had noticed his thirst for revenge, as well as his urge to hunt, draining away as if a plug had been pulled out somewhere deep down inside him. The space the darkness had once occupied was quickly being filled by something else. It hit him suddenly that his eyes had been following Kate's long hair for the entire time he'd been thinking. It wasn't as if he didn't know the reason. It just surprised him every so often.

-

Kate could feel Sawyer's eyes on her, as she had many times before. Sometimes she wondered how that was possible. Without literally having eyes in the back of her head, that is. She remembered her mother saying things like that. Was she turning into her mother or something? And that was the question, wasn't it? The one she asked herself every time her soul seemed to resonate with Sawyer's. She could see Wayne's face in her mind again. She could hear him saying she was beautiful through the haze of alcohol, less than an hour before she killed him. The loathing boiled up again, like a lump in her throat and she swallowed it back down. She knew that none of this was Sawyer's fault. He cared, she could sense that, and she cared too. She just had some issues to work out. But how could she make him understand? She didn't want to have a big blowout with him like Charlie and Claire had.

She had been watching all of that with great interest. There had never been a question in her mind that they would get back together. After all, Charlie was the only father figure Aaron knew. They were a family. It didn't seem to matter that Charlie wasn't Aaron real father. At least, it never mattered to Charlie. Something told Kate that even if Claire's ex came back into the picture, Charlie would be able to handle that too. Was it a lack of love that had torn her own family apart? Or too much love maybe. Without knowing what the mistake really was, how could she avoid it? She turned slightly to look over her shoulder. Sawyer met her gaze and flashed a grin.

-

"What are you looking at?" Kate demanded.

"What? I'm not allowed to look at you?" Sawyer protested.

"That depends. What are you up to?"

"Nothin'! Why do you think I'm up to somethin'?"

"Because you always are."

"Since when?"

"I don't know. Since you were born, I guess."

"Unbelievable! Aren't you the hardened criminal here?"

Jack willed himself not to turn around. If he watched them, it would only encourage their behavior. Hurley laughing was enough to keep them going anyway.

"Jack, he's making fun of me."

"Well, hell, she's pickin' on me."

"He's annoying me."

"He's annoyin' me."

"Now he's mimicking me."

"Hey! Quiet down back there," Jack snarled over his shoulder. It was bad enough they were heading off on a dangerous mission. Now he had to deal with this?

"Yeah, quiet down."

"She's yellin' at me."

"He's looking at me."

"She's ignorin' me."

"He's breathing on me."

"Ow! She's hittin' me."

"Don't make me reach back there," Jack said as he kept walking. Maybe if he played their little game, they might just do as they were told for once. "I'll turn this group around if you don't shut up. How many times have I saved you guys from certain death? And this is the thanks I get?" He was rewarded with perfect silence from his companions. At least, for half a minute.

"I'm hungry."

"I have to pee."

"Are we there yet?"

Jack's face turned bright red. As much as he hated succumbing to the silliness in this situation, he couldn't help laughing with them.


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter takes place in the middle of season 2.

Sayid rubbed his eyes and sighed, his latest project almost finished. Sometimes he wondered why people brought these things to him. Was he that magnetic a person? Or was this his penance for all the terrible things he'd done in the past. He twisted the screwdriver twice more. The circuit he was tinkering with was almost fried, but he thought it would still work. At least for a little while. When Hurley had first brought it to him, he'd thought it was useless, but maybe...

"Is it ready yet?" Charlie asked as he came up from behind.

"Yes, I believe it is," Sayid replied, clicking the plastic cover back into place.

"Fantastic," Charlie said a bit nervously. "I hope Claire likes it."

"I'm sure she will." Sayid tried to sound encouraging but the words seemed empty somehow, as if they'd been tainted by his apathetic mood. He handed the machine over to Charlie and took his thanks as politely as always. Why should he care if the girl liked her surprise or not? He supposed he must be depressed to think this way. He pushed himself to his feet and followed a few meters behind Charlie as he returned to Claire's tent.

"Claire!" Charlie called out. He waited until she stuck her head out of the tent. "Surprise," he finished, holding up the newly refurbished radio.

"What's that for?" Claire asked, coming out to stand with Charlie on the sand.

"You'll see," he said. He set the radio down beside the tent pole and turned it on. Soft music drifted lazily out of the speaker loosely attached to the side of the transistor. "Dance with me," he said, offering his hand. Claire took it and he pulled her around in a big circle. She tried to step in time with the music but failed miserably, laughing at herself. And then Charlie was laughing too. And they were both laughing.

From his vantage point under a nearby palm tree, Sayid watched the clumsy dance. He let a small smile play across his face. Joy wasn't something he felt often, so he burned the moment into his memory. He could feel his low mood flying away with the laughter of his friends. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad life after all.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter takes place near the end of season 2.

Jack heard Sawyer slam the door on his way out of the hatch. He leaned back on the couch and sighed. How I enjoy these pleasant conversations, Jack thought sarcastically. He wished he was alone, but he knew Locke was skulking around somewhere nearby.

"Why do you let him talk to you like that?" Locke asked from around the corner.

"I don't know," Jack replied. "Maybe I'm just too lazy to beat him up."

"Am I supposed to believe that?"

"Well, I don't know, John. Why don't you tell me? You seem to have everything figured out."

"I think it's because you love him."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"There are many kinds of love, Jack. The love of friendship, for example. Or the love of a brother."

Jack put his hand up to his face to cover the sneer that spread across it.

"You know, you're absolutely right, John," he said mockingly. "Sawyer's like a brother to me. An annoying little brother who follows me around and makes fun of me and gets in my way all the time and touches my stuff and steals my girlfriend. But somehow, I just can't make myself hate him."

"There, you see. You answered my original question," Locke said.


	4. Chapter 4

This chapter takes place at the beginning of season 3.

"I hope the baby has your eyes," Sun said, nudging Jin as he walked by her on the deck of Desmond's boat. He smiled and nodded as he passed by.

Sun didn't consider herself a liar for saying that. Especially since there was no way to confirm if she was one or not. She had already decided that Jin would never know about the affair unless she told him. He believed that the baby was his and he had no reason to think otherwise. He had been gullible enough to believe her when she claimed there was no affair. She guessed that part of the reason for that was his desperate need to believe. She'd heard it said that people see what they want to see. She hoped that the saying was true. She hoped even harder that Jin had been right and the baby was miraculously his. Could that be possible? In this place, it seemed like anything was possible.

And all the more incredible, they had found their way to a place where her father couldn't reach them. As she looked across the deck, she could see Jin gathering up some loose rope. Despite what had happened in the past, she was glad she had married him. It suddenly occurred to her that there was no reason for them to go back to Korea after all this was over. If they did, they would be under her father's thumb for the rest of their lives. Their only chance at freedom was to get to the US and stay there. That wasn't such a wild thought considering that they had many American friends now who could help them get started. And why shouldn't they start over? Hadn't they earned it? If things went in their favor, the baby would be born in the US. As the parents of a citizen, she and Jin would be able to stay. And there was no law that said she had to tell her father where they were. Or even that they were alive. They could just vanish and live happily ever after.


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter takes place in the middle of season 3.

Kate rubbed her neck with her free hand. She needed another bath. That was a funny thought to have while standing in front of a grave. But the wooden marker in front of her made no attempt at humor. She looked down at the tropical flowers in her hand and wondered what Agent Mars would think of this meager offering. He'd probably tell her not to bother.

Sawyer pushed one last branch aside. He was sure he had seen Kate heading towards the graveyard. He wasn't sure that was a healthy place for her to be. She always seemed to get depressed when she had been there. Seeing which grave she was standing by, Sawyer thought he knew why. As he walked up the hill, he noticed the flowers she was carrying.

"Come to make amends?" he asked, stopping beside her.

"Not really," she replied. "I don't think I can."

"Not without dyin' too."

"If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have been on that plane."

"If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't have been on the plane either."

"I keep thinking… Why did he chase me for so long? It couldn't have gotten him anything."

"Doesn't matter. Cops get obsessed with cases and suspects all the time. It ain't special."

"You really think he was obsessed with me?"

"Maybe you were a little obsessed too. I mean, you're puttin' flowers on his grave."

"I called him, you know. On the phone every few months while I was on the run."

"You called him? What for?"

"I don't know. To tell my side of the story maybe."

"They hate it when you taunt 'em like that, ya'know."

"I wasn't taunting him."

"You just said you didn't know why you did it."

"I would know if I was taunting him."

"Fine, have it your way. But the guy chased you halfway around the world. You must have said somethin' that grabbed him."

"I don't know."

They stood there for a moment, each one with their own thoughts. Sawyer spoke first.

"In any case, if you hadn't been on the plane, we wouldn't have met."

"And if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been on the plane."

"Yeah."

Kate tossed the flowers down on the grave and walked away. Sawyer shot a look back over his shoulder as he trailed behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter takes place sometime in the near future.

Kate trotted down the beach with a bottle of water in her hand. The date was December 23, as she'd discovered when she made a close examination of someone's calendar the day before. It was time to start thinking about gifts for people. But what should one give in this situation? What did anyone have to give? That morning, she'd come up with a brilliant idea. At least, she thought it was brilliant. Half the ideas she conceived were always half-baked or downright insane.

Charlie, the first of her targets, was standing outside Claire's tent with Aaron in his arms. Kate approached quickly, wanting to take him by surprise.

"Merry Christmas," She said as she leaned down. She gave him a small kiss on the cheek and then walked on. She heard him chuckle behind her, just a little embarrassed.

A little farther down the beach, she found Sayid playing with his machines again. "Merry Christmas," she said and gave him a peck too. She saw his face flush before she walked away.

She found Hurley sitting on a rock by the water and did the same to him.

"Dude," he said, rubbing his cheek.

An hour later, Jack met her at the water trough.

"I hear you're giving holiday kisses," he said with a grin.

"Of course you get yours too," she said. "Merry Christmas." And she gave him a longer kiss than the others.

That evening, Kate was sitting by the fire outside her tent. Sawyer appeared and sat beside her.

"Merry Christmas," she said and leaned over to him. She didn't notice his head turn until it was too late. The kiss she'd meant for his cheek he caught squarely on his lips and they didn't let go of each other for what felt like a long time. By that time, she was blushing like crazy.

"Merry Christmas," Sawyer said with his most innocent smile.


	7. Chapter 7

This chapter takes place in the middle of season 3.

Kate pulled open the medicine cabinet in Ben's bathroom. She scanned the little shelves with a scavenger's eye. Aspirin, anti-fungal cream, Pepto… Too much information, she thought. She could hear Sayid rifling through drawers in the kitchen. She wondered whether he was really up to doing this. He had just been shot the other day. And he had taken a beating for making contact with Alex. It would do him good to get back to camp and take some time off. In the meantime, she hoped he would find chocolate syrup in there somewhere. She lifted her bag up and scooped the entire contents of the cabinet into it. She slung it over her shoulder again and slipped across the hall into another room. As it turned out, it was Alex's room. Kate turned around and walked out again. It would be rude to loot stuff from a person who had saved her life. And Sawyer's too. God, he would have loved to be here today. Kate couldn't help smiling at the thought. She could just imagine him trying to strap a sofa to his back. "This is nothin'," he'd say while struggling towards the door. Kate smiled wider as she went to the hall closet and took a couple of clean towels. A moment later, she turned her head to the sound of a terrible crash from the kitchen followed closely by Sayid cursing in Arabic. Time to go find that chocolate syrup, Kate thought as she rushed to help him.


	8. Chapter 8

This chapter takes place near the end of season 3.

Sayid let Vincent run ahead of him through the trees. He didn't mind having to come this far out to get fruit as long as he could have some time alone. He knew he shouldn't let his guard down, but the weather was so nice. He let the sun play over his face as he walked. The leaves stained the light green as it fell through them. The deep breath he was taking caught in his throat when he heard rustling in the bushes nearby. It's probably just Vincent, he thought as he reached around for the gun in his belt. Please let it be Vincent…

No words could describe his disappointment when Sawyer's head emerged from the foliage off to his left. That feeling began to evaporate when Sawyer held his finger up to his mouth and motioned for him to follow. A few meters away, they came to a thick growth of vines and Sawyer pushed a few of them aside to peer through. Sayid did the same. Beyond the vines, there was a clearing with a rock pool where water from the stream collected briefly before flowing onward. On the far side of the pool, Juliet was crouched down washing her hands in the cool water. After several seconds she stood up and started to take her shirt off. Sayid sighed and turned to walk away. Watching a woman bathing wasn't his idea of a constructive activity. But he had to stop when Sawyer grabbed his arm.

"Don't you wanna see if she's wearin' a wire?" he hissed with a serious look on his face.

Sayid sighed again and reluctantly turned back around. Juliet was just dropping her shirt on the rocks.

"You are a very bad influence on me," Sayid whispered in Sawyer's direction. "I never did this before."

"Never?" Sawyer replied almost in disbelief.

"Never," Sayid confirmed. "But whenever I spend any time with you, I always do something terrible."

"I guess I just bring out the worst in you, Ali," Sawyer shot back.

"Yes, you do… Pincushion."

Sawyer turned his head sharply and Sayid let a smile flash across his face.

"You wanna get closer?" Sawyer asked. "We could circle around."

"Absolutely," Sayid replied.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

This chapter takes place at the end of season 3.

Sawyer stopped at the bottom of a hill and waited for Juliet to catch up. She wasn't as used to hiking as he was and two hours of non-stop motion had taken their toll on her.

"Thanks… for waiting," she said as she came up beside him. For a moment, she rested her hands on her knees, bending over the undergrowth. Sawyer walked on without responding, forcing her to trot after him.

"Can we… slow down… a little?" she panted.

"Slow down?" Sawyer repeated nastily in mid-stride. "Your old buddies might be killin' some of my people as we speak. And you wanna slow down?"

Juliet stopped short and called after him. "There's… no use rushing… if we're… too tired to save them… when we get there."

Sawyer looked at her over his shoulder and slowed to an easy stroll. They walked in silence for a while until their surroundings began to look more familiar.

"The camp can't be far," Juliet said. Sawyer only grunted in response and kept walking. Her attempt at small talk fell flat.

"You're an unusual person," Juliet said, trying again. "From what I read in your file, you've never shown any loyalty to anybody. But here you are…"

"Well, congratulations," Sawyer replied bitingly. "You read a piece of paper. You think you know me just from my vital stats?"

"I know that you have a three year old daughter who lives in Albuquerque. And I suspect that you haven't shared this with your girlfriend."

"Keep them outta this," Sawyer snarled, stung.

"What I don't understand is why you never tried to see her."

"You mean that wasn't in my file?" Sawyer said miserably.

"Oh sure it was. Right after the page with your astrological chart. But I didn't read that far."

Sawyer knew she was joking because her constant smirk grew a little wider. But that only made him angry.

"Yeah, I never tried to see her. You wanna know why? 'Cause I'm a con. The only thing I can teach her is how to steal from people. So do I stay away? You bet I do."

"Why don't you quit then? Retire from crime and start over. You could marry Kate if you made an effort."

"What do you know about it?" Sawyer demanded.

"At least go back to school."

Sawyer's mouth dropped open in amused disbelief. "Go back to school?" he chuckled.

"You dropped out of ninth grade, right?"

"Yeah, I did. Got bored. Now bein' a con is all I know how to do. And a tiger don't change his stripes."

There was a pause and then Juliet gave an almost silent laugh.

"What's so funny?" Sawyer growled.

"Once there was a tiger-striped cat," she began. "This cat died a million deaths, came back and lived a million lives. He wasn't afraid to die. He had many owners who he never really cared for. And then one day, the cat became a stray cat and he was free. He met a white female cat and the two of them spent their days together happily. But after a while, the white cat got old and died. The striped cat cried a million tears and then he died too. And this time, he didn't come back."

Sawyer stared at her for a moment as they walked on through the jungle.

"What's all that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Juliet replied, her smirk widening again. "You just leave those stripes right where they are."

Story Notes:

"I got bored" - This is something I've always suspected about Sawyer. He's smart enough to have skipped a grade in school. But after his parents died, there was no one to encourage him. So he fell through the cracks.

"…a tiger-striped cat…" - Some of you may recognize this story from the last episode of Cowboy Bebop. Honestly, I think it applies better to Sawyer than to Spike. And it makes a nice corollary to his quip about the tiger's stripes.


End file.
